Police, Probation, Crown Prosecution and Prison Services Funding

Baroness Stern: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the planned increase in funding (a) next year and (b) over the next three years for police, probation services, Crown Prosecution Service and Prison Service respectively, expressed in both absolute and percentage terms.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Planned increases in funding for the period 2001-02 to 2003-04 are given in the table:
	
		
			  2001-02 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 
			  Provision £000s Increase £000s Increase % Increase £000s Increase % Increase £000s Increase % 
			 Police 7,718,000 777,000 10.1 1,292,000 16.7 1,575,000 20.4 
			 Probation Services 519,000 121,000 23.3 162,000 31.2 194,000 37.4 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 314,000 71,300 22.7 80,600 25.6 92,600 29.4 
			 Prison Service 2,401,000 117,000 4.9 238,000 9.9 308,000 12.8 
		
	
	Figures show the increase on 2001-01 provision in both absolute and percentage terms based on latest provisional allocations. (The percentage increase compares each year with 2000-01.)

Prison Overcrowding

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 16 March (WA 115), how many prisoners are currently held in excess of the in-use certified normal accommodation; and in which prisons are these conditions obtaining.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The number of prisoners held in excess of the in-use certified normal accommodation at the end of February 2001 was 4,362. The prisons concerned are listed in the table. These data are provisional but are not expected to alter significantly.
	
		
			 Prison name In Use CNA Population Difference Percentage overcrowded 
			 Altcourse 614 799 185 30.1% 
			 Aylesbury 348 353 5 1.4% 
			 Bedford 352 368 16 4.5% 
			 Belmarsh 843 850 7 0.8% 
			 Birmingham 710 925 215 30.3% 
			 Blakenhurst 647 846 199 30.8% 
			 Bristol 314 545 231 73.6% 
			 Brixton 651 755 104 16.0% 
			 Buckley Hall 350 360 10 2.9% 
			 Bullingdon 767 836 69 9.0% 
			 Canterbury 196 254 58 29.6% 
			 Cardiff 403 544 141 35.0% 
			 Cookham Wood 120 147 27 22.5% 
			 Doncaster 771 1,091 320 41.5% 
			 Dorchester 172 219 47 27.3% 
			 Downview 322 330 8 2.5% 
			 Durham 670 703 33 4.9% 
			 Eastwood Park 295 302 7 2.4% 
			 Elmley 763 864 101 13.2% 
			 Everthorpe 438 456 18 4.1% 
			 Exeter 315 385 70 22.2% 
			 Glen Parva 664 712 48 7.2% 
			 Gloucester 236 277 41 17.4% 
			 Guys Marsh 487 509 22 4.5% 
			 High Down 649 702 53 8.2% 
			 Holloway 477 488 11 2.3% 
			 Leeds 770 1,236 466 60.5% 
			 Leicester 219 358 139 63.5% 
			 Lincoln 360 491 131 36.4% 
			 Littlehey 624 626 2 0.3% 
			 Liverpool 1,216 1,228 12 1.0% 
			 Low Newton 215 234 19 8.8% 
			 Manchester 953 1,076 123 12.9% 
			 Moorland 740 764 24 3.2% 
			 Mount 705 732 27 3.8% 
			 New Hall 327 365 38 11.6% 
			 Northallerton 135 197 62 45.9% 
			 Norwich 561 669 108 19.3% 
			 Parc 844 929 85 10.1% 
			 Pentonville 897 1,098 201 22.4% 
			 Preston 301 556 255 54.7% 
			 Ranby 725 741 16 2.2% 
			 Shepton Mallet 99 110 11 11.1% 
			 Shrewsbury 185 319 134 72.4% 
			 Stocken 556 573 17 3.1% 
			 Styal 412 428 16 3.9% 
			 Usk 251 321 70 27.9% 
			 Verne 552 562 10 1.8% 
			 Wandsworth 1,128 1,302 174 15.4% 
			 Wayland 620 625 5 0.8% 
			 Winchester 455 564 109 24.0% 
			 Wolds 360 378 18 5.0% 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 812 856 44 5.4%

Trespassing

Baroness Buscombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many prosecutions there were in 2000 under Section 61(4) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 of persons who failed to leave the land on which they were believed to be trespassing after being directed to do so by a police officer; and
	How many persons were arrested in 2000 under Section 61(5) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; and
	How many vehicles appearing to belong to a trespasser or to be in a trespasser's possession or to be under a trespasser's control were seized and removed in 2000 by a constable exercising his powers under Section 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Information for 2000 is not yet available.
	Information taken from the Home Office's Court Proceedings Database, however, shows that three persons were prosecuted for offences under Section 61(4) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in England and Wales in 1999. There were no prosecutions in Scotland and data for Northern Ireland for 1999 are not yet available.
	Details of persons arrested under Section 61(5) and vehicles seized under Section 62 of the Act are not available centrally.

Clandestine Entrants: Civil Penalties

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Since the Carriers Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 came into effect:
	(a) how many clandestine entrants have been detected;
	(b) what is the number and total value of penalties imposed;
	(c) what is the number and total value of penalties paid; and
	(d) how many appeals against the penalties are outstanding.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Since 3 April 2000 when the civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 were introduced, and as at 27 March 2001, a total of 4,650 clandestine entrants have been detected in road vehicles arriving in the United Kingdom. Eight hundred and thirty-four penalties with a combined value of £9,240,000, have been imposed, of which 102, with a total value of £854,000, have been paid in full. Agreement has been reached for the settlement by instalments of a further 53 penalties together valued at £596,000, of which part payment amounting to £155,000 has been received.
	There are currently 210 notices of objection against the imposition of a penalty under consideration.

Clandestine Entrants: Civil Penalties

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Since the Carriers Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 came into effect, how many lorries have been impounded:
	(a) at the time of serving of the notice of liability to civil penalty; and
	(b) after loss of appeal.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Since 3 April 2000 when the civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 were introduced and as at 27 March 2001, a total of 209 vehicles have been detained. Of these, 152 have subsequently been released upon payment of the penalty imposed or of a satisfactory alternative security.
	In all cases, detention of the vehicle took place following the serving of the notice of liability to civil penalty.

Clandestine Entrants: Civil Penalties

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Since the Carriers Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 came into effect, what criteria are used by the Chief Immigration Officer in deciding that a lorry should be impounded at the time of entry into the United Kingdom because "there is a significant risk that the penalty will not be paid . . . before the end of the prescribed period" (Immigration Service--Notice of Detention of Transporter).

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which were introduced on 3rd April 2000, provide that a relevant vehicle may be detained following the giving of a notice of liability to civil penalty.
	The power to detain a vehicle may be exercised only if in the opinion of the senior officer concerned there is a significant risk that the penalty (or one or more of the penalties) will not be paid before the end of the prescribed period if the transporter is not detained. The Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 prescribe the period in which payment must be made as being 60 days from the date of the giving of the notice of liability to civil penalty.
	In determining whether or not it is appropriate to detain a vehicle, the senior officer will consider all factors that may indicate a significant risk that the penalty will not be paid within the prescribed period. These will include the amount of the penalty imposed, the financial standing of the company or individual involved, their willingness to pay and any history of late or non-payment of previous penalties they may have incurred. The senior officer will also take account of any alternative security that may be put forward.

Clandestine Entrants: Civil Penalties

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Since the Carriers Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 came into effect, why they detained a lorry owned by Wood Flooring of Meare, Somerset, on 16 March at the time of serving of notice of liability to civil penalty when this operator is a regular user of cross-Channel transport services and has not previously been served with such a notice.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The power to detain a vehicle following the giving of a notice of liability to civil penalty may be exercised only if the senior officer concerned is of the opinion that the penalty will not be paid before the end of the prescribed period of 60 days if the transporter is not detained.
	It would not be right for me to comment on an individual case which may be the subject of ongoing civil penalty proceedings. In general, however, in forming an opinion the senior officer will take into account all factors that may indicate a significant risk that the penalty will not be paid within the time prescribed. These factors will include the amount of the penalty imposed, the financial standing of the company or individual involved, their willingness to pay and any history of late or non-payment of previous penalties. The fact that a company may not have previously incurred a penalty is not an indication in itself that a penalty imposed will be paid within the prescribed time.

EC Own Resources Contributions

Lord Shore of Stepney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of total European Union own resources has been provided by the United Kingdom's net contribution in each of the years 1990 to 2000; what has been the percentage contribution to the European Union own resources of France and Italy in each of the same years; and what is the estimated annual net contribution of France and Italy in the years 2001 to 2006.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The percentage of total European Community own resources provided by the United Kingdom's net contribution in the years 1990 to 2000 is contained in the reply which I gave to the noble Lord on 15 March, (Official Report, WA 104-105).
	The percentage contributions of France and Italy in each of the years 1990 to 1999 were as follows:
	
		
			  France (%) Italy (%) 
			 1990 4.36 1.01 
			 1991 4.64 2.63 
			 1992 2.57 0.90 
			 1993 1.59 2.38 
			 1994 4.09 3.96 
			 1995 2.55 0.91 
			 1996 0.65 1.97 
			 1997 1.31 0.43 
			 1998 2.09 2.57 
			 1999 1.41 2.12 
		
	
	Figures from which the net contribution of other member states for the year 2000 can be calculated are not yet available. The Government do not forecast the contribution of other member states on an annual basis.

Gulf Veterans Illnesses

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why it is impossible for new teams of officials or new Ministers who take over responsibility for Gulf veterans from previous teams (except at the time of a change of government in the case of Ministers) to refer to the information obtained by, and emanating from, their predecessors.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing information to Parliament on matters of potential relevance to the issue of Gulf veterans' illnesses. This commitment has been continually demonstrated in the work undertaken by my department's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit. If the noble Countess would care to write to me with more details of her concerns, I will investigate them further.

Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme

Lord Morris of Castle Morris: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made with setting up and activating the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme in response to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Baroness Hayman: The Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme, as announced in the Statement to the House on 27 March (Official Report, cols. 119-124), has already opened to applications. First payments are due to be made before Easter.
	Parliamentary approval for additional resources for this new service will be sought in the 2001-02 Summer Supplementary Estimate for the Intervention Board--Executive Agency. Pending that approval urgent expenditure estimated at £240 million will be met by a repayable cash advance from the Contingencies Fund.

Children's Commissioner for Wales

Baroness David: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What role will the Children's Commissioner for Wales have in respect of matters that are not devolved to the National Assembly for Wales.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The commissioner's core functions under the Bill rightly focus on matters that come within the Assembly's wide fields of responsibility. However, the Government have carefully considered the points made in debate here and in another place about the commissioner needing to have a role in matters not devolved to the Assembly. We therefore intend amending the Bill to empower the commissioner to consider, and make representations to the Assembly about, any matter affecting the rights and welfare of children in Wales.

Crown Leaseholders

Baroness Cohen of Pimlico: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What effect the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will have on the rights of Crown leaseholders to enfranchise and to acquire a new or extended lease.

Lord Bach: Following a statement made on 2 November 1992 by Sir George Young, the Crown authorities gave an undertaking that the Crown would, as landlord and subject to specified conditions, agree to the enfranchisement or extension of residential long leases under the same qualifications and terms which applied by virtue of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 to lessees who hold from other landlords.
	The Crown authorities have confirmed that they will apply the terms of this undertaking to the provisions of the 1967 Act and the 1993 Act as amended by the present Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill if enacted. This undertaking accordingly supersedes the one given on 2 November 1992.
	The full terms of the agreement made by the Crown are as follows:
	(1) the Crown as landlord will, subject to the conditions described below, agree to the enfranchisement or extension of residential long leases or the grant of new residential long leases under the same qualifications and terms which will apply by virtue of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 to lessees who hold from other landlords;
	(2) enfranchisement will be refused where property stands on land which is held inalienably;
	(3) enfranchisement will also be refused where certain circumstances, which only apply to the Crown, obtain. These are:
	(i) where there are particular security considerations (on the advice of the Royal and Diplomatic Protection Group of the Metropolitan Police or other security agencies)
	(ii) where properties are in, or intimately connected with, the curtilage of historic Royal Parks and Palaces;
	(iii) where properties, or the areas in which they are situated, have a long historic or particular association with the Crown.
	(4) the areas referred to in paragraph (3)(iii) include the off islands within the Isles of Scilly (St Agnes, Bryher, St Martins and Tresco), the Garrison on St Mary's and parts of central Dartmoor. The properties referred to in that paragraph include old land revenue and reverter properties and grace and favour properties.
	(5) where enfranchisement is refused on the grounds set out in paragraphs (2) and (3) but the tenant would otherwise qualify for enfranchisement, lease extension or the grant of a new lease by analogy with the statutes, the Crown will be prepared to negotiate new leases.
	(6) the Crown will follow the valuation bases set out in the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
	(7) the Crown will agree to be bound by arbitration where there is dispute over valuation or other terms, except in cases under paragraphs (2) and (3). The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal will be empowered to act as the arbitration body, and will hear such disputes on voluntary reference.
	(8) the Crown will be entitled to apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal for approval of a scheme of estate management in the same way as other landlords.

UK Jobs and EU Membership

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 27 February (WA 120) in which the National Statistician and Registrar General states that no information is available linking workforce jobs with activities directly contributing to credits on the United Kingdom balance of payments current account, what is the source of the data in the statement by the Prime Minister in his foreword to IGC: Reform for Enlargement, Cm 4595, that over 3 million British jobs are involved with exports to our partners in the European Union.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: This figure was drawn from the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) report Continent Cut off? The Macroeconomic Impact of British Withdrawal from the EU by Pain Young. This was first published in February 2000. A revised edition was published in September of the same year.
	The NIESR report estimated that up to 3.2 million jobs were associated with the UK's membership of the EU--2.7 million in the export of goods and services to the EU and another 0.5 million in multinational companies which might be lost if the UK did not have tariff free access to the EU. These estimates are made using 1997 data.
	A study entitled UK Jobs Dependent on the EU by Ardy, Begg and Hodson of the European Institute at South Bank University came to a similar conclusion. This study, published in February 2000, estimated that 3.445 million UK jobs are linked to the export of goods and services to the rest of the EU.

3G Mobile Communications

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What meetings Ministers at the Department of Trade and Industry have had with companies in the telecommunications sector since 1 January of this year; and to what extent issues relating to 3G (third generation) have been discussed at such meetings.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Ministers at the Department of Trade and Industry have had several meetings in different fora with telecommunications companies this year in the normal course of business. Issues discussed have been wide-ranging and have on occasion included regulatory issues related to 3G mobile communications.

Mental Health Act Commission Report

Lord Graham of Edmonton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have formally responded to the Mental Health Act Commission's eighth biennial report.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Yes, copies have been placed in the Library.

Health Professions: Regulation

Lord Graham of Edmonton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish their proposals for the regulation of the health professions.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have published draft orders under the Health Act 1999 containing provisions to set up a new Nursing and Midwifery Council and a new Health Professions Council. These will replace the existing United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, the four national boards and the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. The orders will be published for three months before debate in Parliament. A period of consultation will last until 1 June 2001. Copies of both draft orders have been placed in the Library.
	Appointments to the shadow Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health Professions Council are under way. These appointments should be made in early April for the shadow councils to start work as soon as possible afterwards. The shadow councils will have the status of advisory groups until the new councils are statutorily established in April 2002.

State Retirement Pension Uprating for Recipients Living Abroad

Lord Shore of Stepney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 29 March (WA 58), whether the principal reason why the retirement pensions for United Kingdom pensioners living in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are not uprated is that the United Kingdom has no reciprocal agreements which allow for upratings; and, if so, what initiatives they have taken, or plan to take, to negotiate such reciprocal agreements.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: I refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave him on 18 January 2001 (Official Report, col. WA 141).

A12 Trunk Road: Litter

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the present level of litter on the A12 trunk road between the M11 and the A14 is acceptable and to what firm the Highways Agency has given the contract for collection of litter from this stretch of road.

Lord Whitty: No amount of litter is acceptable on any road, but the problem is exacerbated by disposal of rubbish by the general public.
	However, the responsibility of litter collection on the A12 trunk road lies solely with the respective district council through which the road passes. This was defined in law under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and standards of cleanliness that should be maintained are set out in a code of practice.
	The relevant district councils are: Brentwood District Council (Essex), Chelmsford District Council (Essex), Malden District Council (Essex), Braintree District Council (Essex), Colchester District Council (Essex) and Babergh District Council (Suffolk).
	While the Highways Agency has no direct responsibility for litter collection, it has taken a proactive role in ensuring that it is carried out. The agency has aimed to achieve this by allowing the district councils access when traffic management is in place for other reasons, such as when roadworks are carried out, so that they can work safely and minimise their costs. Additionally, the agency has been meeting with the relevant district councils to discuss how they fulfil their duty, which is to keep the area clean.
	As a result of their discussions, the Highways Agency offered the district councils the opportunity to work with our maintaining agents while scavenging patrols were carried out. Scavenging patrols are carried out to remove any items which are causing a safety hazard or are arguably not typical litter, i.e. lorry tyres, fridges, gas bottles etc. Since such patrols in themselves require traffic management to ensure the safety of the workforce and the travelling public, the district councils were offered the opportunity to work within the traffic management to remove the litter which it is their duty to remove.
	In addition, through the discussions with the district councils, the Highways Agency has been able to obtain assurances from them that they would work together to maximise the amount of work that can be done during their litter patrols.
	The district councils have now proposed a programme for carrying out their works, and the Highways Agency will discuss this with them to make sure that the greatest use is made of everyone's resources.

Bus Services

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in view of rising costs and the desirability of using rural bus service grant marginally to augment existing bus services, they will raise the current de minimis levels relating to subsidised services.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: As I said in my reply to the noble Lord on 12 February (Official Report, col. WA 1), while we have no immediate plans to change the de minimis limits, we will keep this matter under review in the light of any representations from local authorities and others.
	We announced in January that up to 20 per cent of each local authority's rural bus subsidy grant may be used to support existing rural bus services.

BBC Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will invite the BBC in Northern Ireland to reflect an across-community balance in its cultural activities.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As my right honourable friend will be aware, it is the Government's policy that broadcasters are independent of government and, therefore, we do not seek to intervene in detailed matters of programming content. This is a matter for the BBC Board of Governors, who must ensure that the obligations set out in the Royal Charter and agreement are met. BBC Northern Ireland remains committed to ensuring that its output on radio, television and online services provides a variety of cultural activity which reflects the diversity and vibrancy of all traditions in the community.

Football World Cup: Television Rights

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information they have on the validity of recent reports that, for the first time, the Football World Cup will not be available in the United Kingdom free to view but that the German Kirch Group will be conducting an auction for the television rights; and, if so, what action they are taking.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We understand that the Kirch Group intends to hold an open auction for the live rights but it intends to comply with the UK listed event legislation. Through correspondence and a meeting of officials, we have made the Kirch Group fully aware of the extent of this legislation: that the whole of the World Cup Finals tournament (all 64 matches) is a listed event and that any broadcaster purchasing live rights from Kirch would have to comply with the provisions of the 1996 Broadcasting Act. We expect that the Independent Television Commission, the regulator responsible for ensuring compliance with the legislation, will take all proper steps to ensure that the law works in the way that it is intended, so that UK viewers have the opportunity of seeing the whole of the finals tournament on "free to air" television.